Research interests

Mammals have an unusually dense and continuous fossil record, and are thus ideal for evolutionary studies. I am interested in understanding how evolution as a process, acting on generation-to-generation scales of time yields the microevolutionary and macroevolutionary patterns that we observe on longer historical and geological scales of time. A more detailed summary of my research interests is provided on my personal home page.

Teaching

I teach an introductory minicourse on primate evolution (Geological Sciences 106) during the Fall or Winter terms, and a more advanced course on primate evolution (GS 438) or mammalian evolution (GS 439) during alternate Winter terms. In each, the primate and mammal fossil records provide an empirical basis for consideration of broader issues in the study of earth history and evolution. I also co-teach to a new Analytical Paleontology course (GS 510) in alternate years, and contribute regularly to our Friday noon Museum of Paleontology seminar on paleobiology and evolution (Fall and Winter terms: GS 536). Finally, supervision of undergraduate and graduate student research on mammals and evolution is an ongoing extension of classroom teaching.